Slot type games and gaming machines are well known. Early slot machines were mechanically operated. These machines included a plurality of physical reels which had symbols printed on them. The reels were mechanically rotated and the outcome of the game was determined by the symbols which were displayed when the reels came to a stop.
Later, electronically operated slot machines were developed. A first type of electronically operated slot machine still utilizes physical reels. However, the reels are rotated by motors and those reels are stopped at positions corresponding to a determined outcome. A second type of electronically operated slot machine displays representations of spinning reels graphically on a video display. In both cases, a game outcome is selected and then the reels (physical or video-represented) are stopped at a position which displays that outcome.
A number of methods have been devised for selecting the outcome of a slot type game and then controlling the reels or generating graphics to display the selected outcome. However, existing methods have been determined to have practical or technological drawbacks. These drawbacks include high game volatility (such as where winning outcomes may be separated by long stretches of losing outcomes) or the requirement of significant processing and data storage/memory (thus increasing the game development or presentation time and a higher gaming machine cost).
A new and improved method of generating game outcomes is desired.